Lock key



Feb. 18, 1969 J. L. LEMPKE LOCK KEY Filed Jan. 5, 1967 INVENTOR. 6. %amp/?e f United States Patent Oflice 4 Claims Int. Cl. E05b 19/26, 19/02, 19/04 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Lock key having the key head formed of a resilient plastic material so as to be yieldable under impact loading conditions.

Background of the invention Much attention has been given to the relationship of various knobs, lever ends, switch buttons and the like i to the surface of a motor vehicle instrument panel. It is desrable that none of these various control elements project into the passenger compartment where they could penetrate into an impaoting portion of a human body during a vehicle accident.

One item that h as presented some difiiculty is the vehicle ignition key. Veh-icle keys are generally stamped in great numbers from sheet metal stock and comprise an elongated blade portion having a head somewhat larger than the plate portion. The blade portion fi-ts into the lock cylinder with the head portion projecting straight out from the instrument panel surface. Although the head edges are generally blunt, When impacted with suflicient force the head can be driven into human flesh. The enlarged head is necessary to provide sufficient leverage so that the key blade can be turned in the key cylinder to openate the latter.

Summary of zhe invention The lock key em'bodied in the present invention comprises a key blade which, following conventional practice, is formed of metal. The key head, however, is formed of a resilient plastic material, said key head encompassing one end of the key blade. The key head and the key blade.

are interlocked so that they cannot be separated from one another in normal usage. The resilient plastic key head has the advantage that upon impact it will buckle or fold over and thus avoid penetration of the impacting portion of the human body.

Brief description of the drawing Description of the preferred embod'ment Referring now in detail to the drawing, erally desgnated 11, has a blade 12 that is preferably of metal. The blade is formed with serrations 13 or the like engageable with the locking pins of a conventional key cylinder mechanism into which the blade is adapted to be inserted to a depth controlled by the stops 14. The distance from the stops 14 to the adjacent end of the blade is relatively short. The shont end portion 15 has an aperture 16 therethrough, for a purpose to be explained.

The short end 15 of the key blade 11 is substantially encompassed by a key head 17. The key head may be the key, gen- 3,427,833 Patented Feb. 18, 1969 of any shape, it being illustrated as slightly oval as it appears in side elevation in FIG. 1. I t is preferably formed of a plastic material which maybe polyprolene, polyethylene, polyurethane, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or acetal. The plastic material preferably is injection molded around the short end 15 of the key blade. The blade thus forms its own pocket 18 in the key head and simultaneously forms its own retention or interlocking means as a result of the flow of plastic material through the aperture 16 in the key blade, tas indicated at 19. The plastic material 19 filling the aperture 16 is ntegnal with the body of the key head 17. The aperture 21 :in the key head is conventional and is designed to receive a key ring or the like.

As was noted, the shape and also the thickness of the key head is a matter of choice. It is necessary only that the key head have a portion which is thicker than the thickness of the key blade short end portion so there will be sufficient wall thickness on each side of the short end of the key blade to fi-rmly hold the latter against torsonal forces exerted when 'the -key is inserted in a key cylinder mechanism tand then turned to operate the latter. The depth to which the key blade short end extends into the key head is substanti ally less than half the distance or length of the key head in a direction of the longitudinal axis of the key blade.

Thus, if the key head made of a resilient plastic material is impacted by a portion of a human 'appendage as a result of collision forces causing a vehicle occupant to be thrown against the instrument panel, it will be readily apparent that the key head will yield so as to more or less flex :around the end of the key blade. It will thus provide a oushioning effect rather than a penetrating efi'ect on the flesh portion of the !human body with which it might be engaged.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact Construction shown and described, but that various changes :and modifications may be made without dep artin-g from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lock key comprising a key blade,

said key blade being perforated at one end, and

a key 'head having means permitting said head to be yielda ble under impact loading conditions,

said key head being formed of a resilient plastic material,

said plastic material being molded around the perforated end of the key blade to encompass the lat-ter and to fill the perforation therein to form :a means interlock-ing .the key head to the key blade.

2. A lock key according to claim 1 in which said plastic material is polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or -acetal.

3. A lock key comprising a metal key blade adapted to be inserted in -a key cylinder with a relatvely short end portion projeoting outwardly of the key cylinder, and

a key head having means permitting said head to be yieldable under impact loading conditions,

said key head being formed of resilient plastic and at least `a portion of which is thicker than the thickness of said key blade short end portion,

said key head having in said thicker portion a pocket extending inwardly from the periphery thereof in which said key :blade short end is received,

the depth of said pocket being less than half the length of said key head in the direction of the lon-gitudinal axis of said key blade,

said short end portion of the metal key blade being perforated, and

said plastic material being molded around said short end to simultaneously form the short end receiving 3 4 pocket and a means interlocking the key head and FOREIGN PATENTS key blade through the flow of plastic material through 846 376 8/1960 Great Britain said perforation. 4 2 7 6 2 1 4. A lock key according to claim 3 in which said plastc 3 2 2 & 2 i material is polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, 5 acrylontrile butadene styrene or acetal. German printed application 1 196537 1965 References cited MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primay Examier. UNITED STATES PATENTS PERRY TEITELBAUM, Assistant Exam'ner. 2,653,492 9/1953 Abrams 70-408 X 10 2,714,304 8/1955 Dedda 70-406 U.S. CI. X.R.

2,855,810 10/1958 Brunner 70-406 X 70-406 

